Valentine stepped down off the bus and turned to watch it drive away, a small smile on her face.
That was...cool?
She'd just experienced her first bus ride. It had been exactly as described in her Muggle Studies class. A transport vehicle, larger than a car and designed for many passengers to travel to certain pre-assigned areas. The only thing like it in the wizarding world was what they called night buses. Only they were specifically designed to help stranded witches and wizards as opposed to general public transportation.
It had been a long trip, but she'd been interested enough in watching the scenery of the everyday muggle lives that seemed to fly past. It reminded her of watching out the window of the Hogwarts Express. Only on the Hogwarts Express, the only view offered was miles of the rolling Scottish countryside.
Muggle towns she found, were filled with people going about their days the same way any witch or wizard would. It was summer, so children chased each other up the pathways, riding bicycles, getting in the way of adults, but seemingly not caring. Elderly people moved slowly with the aid of walk sticks and wheelchairs. Teenagers grouped together outside shops, laughing loudly and playing music. It appeared to be nothing more than a display of normal, average lives. It almost made Valentine wonder what that would be like.
She glanced down the street she'd gotten off at, hands in her coat pockets, the thick woollen scarf she never wore pulled up high to her chin. There was a heavy mist that hung in the air all around her. The streets were narrow and reminded her of Knockturn Alley. The buildings were tall and straight and sat in many rows. In the distance, she spotted a tall spire, which she assumed was a mill of some kind.
She looked down the slope behind her from where the bus had dropped her off. Hidden in shrubbery, she could see a narrow, brown river, litter built up a line along the bank. She was sure she'd gotten off at the right place.
She had yet to do much walking in a public place mostly populated by Muggles, but from what she'd seen, one would look for any vehicles in the road before crossing. So, she looked both ways and then quickly crossed the street. Unlike the many places she'd gone through on the bus, she'd yet to see a single soul out and about.
Valentine searched out a street sign. The first she found read, 'Ellan Rd'.
Not this one.
It seemed that several houses were all joined together to create a block of units and that between each block was a narrow alleyway dividing them from the next. Moving through the alleys, it didn't take her long to move on to the next row of dreary houses.' Leeden St'.
Not this one either.
As she passed one house she heard shouting inside and paused for a moment. It sounded like an argument of sorts. She couldn't make out many of the words but she did hear a door slam and someone screeching in frustration.
She continued on, the distant shouting making her recall that morning.
Earlier That Day-
Valentine picked at her food. She glanced at her cousin beside her. Draco may have appeared to be eating breakfast unbothered, but she could see the stiffness in his shoulders and neck. Narcissa was the same although she hid it much better, likely from her many years of practice. Pretending like nothing was wrong. Valentine had never been much interested in that kind of approach when she actually had the ability to choose.
Haley and Emma stood against the wall on the opposite side of the room from Valentine. They kept their heads low.
Lucius sat at the head of the table, his food before him untouched. She and Draco had returned home for the summer less than a week ago and she and her uncle had already butted heads numerous times.
When she was a very young child she'd thought him rather frightening at times. Most definitely mean and domineering. The scoffed insults, the sneers sent her way, the way the eyes in the snakehead of his cane winked at her in the light. The older she got the less she found him to be formidable and the more she found him to be a despicable coward.
When she had been younger there wasn't much she could do to go against him, certainly nothing that wouldn't turn out worse for her and Draco. Once upon a time, she could only use her own body as a shield while Narcissa screamed desperately for Lucius to come to his senses. That had simply been the way of her life. Watching her uncle from the corner of her eye, trying to keep Draco inline beside her. Unfortunately for them, it was rarely enough. But she wasn't a little girl anymore.
She wasn't afraid of Lucius Malfoy. She wasn't afraid of his anger and fury, his violence and punishments. Who had once been a tall, intimidating man was now someone very small? She wondered why it had taken her so long to see it this clearly. She had been pushing back against him for years now but this was too blatant to be mistaken. Of all the frightening things in this world, Lucius Malfoy had never really been one of them.
She could feel the cold glare Lucius sent her way and she raised her chin to meet his gaze. Her bright blue eyes stared back at him, infallible.
"Is the food not to your liking uncle?" Valentine spoke so loudly and suddenly that Draco jumped.
Haley and Emma glanced up at her voice themselves but Lucius didn't answer her.
"Hmm. Perhaps you're right." Valentine placed her fork on the table beside her bowl. "Although, I admit that I'm not very hungry this morning."
She stood from her chair and Draco looked to her with pleading eyes.
"Sit down!" Lucius abruptly snapped.
Valentine turned to face him slowly. Her stance was lax but her near inhuman eyes glowed maliciously. At first, she hadn't been sure what she had done this time. Lucius had been on her since the first day she returned and before she'd even had a chance to start anything. Then she had remembered Harry's recount of the graveyard from that night. Lucius had been there and Voldemort had been less than happy to see him. Harry had said that Voldemort was displeased by the fact that his followers had not looked for him after his 'destruction' and that certainly included Lucius. Not that any of that explained why he had to take this out on her.
"You will sit," said Lucius, jaw clenched tight. "and you will eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat!" He ordered, slamming his fist on the tabletop.
Draco jumped again.
"Lucius." Narcissa hissed under her breath.
"You will sit. And you will eat." Lucius ground out.
"Hmm...No, I don't think I will." Valentine hummed and tossed a curl over her shoulder.
"Valentine." Narcissa turned to her next, a pleading in her gaze far too similar to Draco's. "Please, just sit. There is no reason why we can't have a pleasant meal together."
Valentine stared at her for a long moment and then, almost surprising herself, sank slowly back into her seat.
Draco and Narcissa dropped their heads back down to their food and Lucius just continued to glare at her. All was silent again. Silent and tense in a way that it shouldn't have been. So, she picked up her bowl off the table, stood up and hurled it across the room.
It shattered against the wall loudly, breaking the silence with it. She would have been lying if she said it was not satisfying.
Lucius jumped to his feet, furious.
"You heathen!"
"Speaking?" She blinked innocently.
Emma moved to clean up the mess but Lucius held up a hand.
"I did not tell you to move."
Emma froze for a second before sliding back up against the wall, chin glued to her chest.
Then Lucius turned his cold eyes back on Valentine.
"This family has brought you into this house, raised you, clothed you, provided for you no matter the cost and this is the thanks we get!" He was livid, eyes burning with a wild rage. "This is what you give in return for our kindness?"
"No." She shook her head." This is."
And promptly spat on the floor.
Lucius let out an animalistic scream and threw his own plate onto the floor with a howl
"Lucius, stop!" Narcissa urged him, half out of her seat as the plate went flying.
Valentine didn't just feel like she'd been given a second chance at life, she had been. She'd been on death's door without so many close to her ever knowing and now that had all changed. This was a second chance and she wasn't going to waste it.
She strolled far too casually around the table towards Lucius brushing her arm against the back of Draco's chair as she did so.
"You know..." She tapped her chin in thought. "I think I might go for a walk."
"Valentine." Narcissa tried again but was ignored. "Please. Please, just sit."
Valentine tiptoed her way around the mess Lucius's plate had made on the floor. A stray piece of porcelain cracked beneath her boot but she paid it no mind.
She was still much shorter then Lucius, and most people for that matter, but she made up for her lax height with a dangerous presence that filled the space around her and trapped everything in its wake.
Lucius breathed heavily, gaze laced with malice. He didn't seem the beast he once was to her when she was so young. Now, he was just an angry, bitter, man. As if she didn't have enough experience with those.
"I'm going for a walk and you're going to let me." She told him. "You're not going to get mad about it either. You're not going to hurt me or Draco or a single person in this house while I'm gone."
"You are not the head of this family." Lucius hissed.
"And when have I ever led you to believe that I gave a single damn about who was?" She snarled.
She could see the conflict in Lucius's cold eyes, she could see his instinctual need to cower before her for his own safety battling with his ego and pride.
Coward.
"I should mention...I don't know when I'll be back." Valentine turned and walked back along the table, brushing against Draco's chair once more. "But there's no need to worry, oh dearest family of mine. I will be back. And if I hear of anything unseemly happening here while I'm gone, I will not be happy."
As she headed through the doorway and stepped out into the hall she heard Lucius's frustrated screams.
"You! Clean this up immediately!"
A smile stretched across Valentine's lips. It was good to be alive.
Checkmate.
Present Day-
Valentine wandered down the street at a leisurely pace. Some of the homes almost seemed abandoned in their quietness and others were clearly well lived in.
She spotted movement in a window across the street and pulled her scarf up a fraction higher. It could be easy to forget sometimes how very distinct her features were. She didn't think Spinners End would be a particularly dangerous place for someone like her but it was better safe than sorry. People she'd never even met before could pick her out of a crowd if they tried so she figured some measure of caution was in order.
When she reached the right house she stepped up to the door and knocked. She waited a moment, listening for signs of life inside.
Maybe he's not home? Pfft. Right. Like he's got anywhere else to be.
She knocked again. Harder and unconsciously rapping out a tune Leah had been humming the other day. A few more moments passed and the door swung open.
"What do you want?" Snape growled, teeth bared in displeasure.
"Do you really answer the door like that?" Valentine frowned.
Snape blinked, suddenly realising who was standing on his doorstep.
Valentine did suppose she would look a little different. She never wore a scarf, especially one pulled up half over her face and her unruly curls were tied back with a black ribbon. Of course, that didn't account for her eyes which she could do very little for.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the doorway, shutting the door firmly behind him. "Answer me, Lestrange."
"Good day to you too, professor." Valentine tilted her head in greeting. "I'm taking a walk."
"A walk?" Snape bulked at her words. "Do your aunt and uncle know about this walk?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I told them before I left." Valentine replied, and stepped further into the small home, taking the place in.
"That doesn't explain why you're here." Snape grew increasingly annoyed by the second. Her mere presence did tend to have that effect on him
"I'm just visiting. Is that such a crime?" She rolled her eyes and stepped into another room where books lined the walls.
"Visit somewhere else. What if you were recognised?" Snape followed her.
"Don't get your nose in a twist. Dumbledore told me this place is entirely populated by Muggles." said Valentine. "Well. You know. Except for you."
"Of course he did." Snape grumbled. "And I take it, that's how you know where I live?"
"You know where I live." She trailed her fingers along the worn spines of the books. "It only seemed fair."
In truth, when she had left Malfoy Manor, she hadn't really had much of a plan in mind for her 'walk'. All she knew is that she wanted to be elsewhere, someone out here in the world. She'd felt like she'd cheated death for crying out loud! What else was she supposed to do? Well, one thing was starting off with what she knew. Her links to the world outside her own were incredibly slim. Her life truly did revolve around the Malfoys, Lovats, Hogwarts and Harry. Beyond that, there was little else to say. The only precise location she could conjure up when deciding her first move had been Spinners End, a place Dumbledore had mentioned only once and years ago. It had been a precautionary measure, a 'just in case things get horrifically bad' happenstance. It was also really the only place she had to go where she wouldn't be a complete stranger on her own. It had seemed like the ideal place to start at the time.
Looking around the small space, it was quite the opposite to the opulent mansion she grew up in. The furniture was aged and fading, the curtains hanging over a narrow window threadbare. Orange flames flickered away in the hearth, reflecting off the scuffed wooden flooring that a very long time ago, might have been buffed.
Valentine's fingertips paused on the spine of a certain book. She recognised the title as that of a novel, very unlike all the textbooks and resource journals she had seen so far.
"Get out."
Snape smacked her hand away from the shelves.
"You're such a bore." Valentine turned and wandered out of the front room.
She needed only to take two steps and she was then in the small kitchen.
"I am not here for your entertainment, Lestrange." He growled. "Leave and do not come back."
"I will, I will." She waved him off. "This isn't what I expected by the way."
"What did you think a house would look like?" He spat.
"I know what a house looks like. I suppose I thought you were more of a cave kind of person. A cave with bats and a long history of disturbing urban legends."
She opened a cupboard and frowned at the dull contents. She ran her hand over a crack on the corner of the kitchen counter. She turned on the sink faucet and then turned it back off. It really was just a house.
"Get out before I throw you out, Lestrange."
"This place does make sense though. From what Dumbledore told me, it's been in your family for, well at least however many centuries old you are." Valentine strolled back into the sitting room. "And you spend ten months out of the year at Hogwarts so you're barely even here."
"How enlightening. Oh, is that the time? You know where the door is." Snape gestured, eyes narrow.
"That I do." Valentine sighed but smiled all the same. "Well, it's been lovely Professor, but I really should get going."
"Do not come back."
"Hmm. I think I might come visit again if the weather holds." Valentine drifted slowly towards the front door in a deliberate show of how much she was not in a hurry. "We'll see what happens."
Snape snatched up the handle and threw open the door.
"If I see you here again I will drag you back to the Malfoys myself."
"I'll see you later then, sir." Valentine nodded her head with all the politeness of a casual guest.
Snape just sneered at her and shoved her out onto the street. He slammed the door shut behind her and she heard it lock.
"Ah." She sighed again, grinning widely. "He's going to kill me one of these days."
--Pretending To Live--
The sun had just set as Valentine stepped off a London street and into an alley. Unwashed people lined the streets, with tents and small fires lit in metal basins. These, she had learnt from Muggle Studies, were homeless people. Apparently, the large number of them was quite a problem for the muggle government. It made her wonder why nothing had been done then. If it was such a problem, why were they still homeless? They watched her cautiously as she walked past, going about their business. She kept her eyes front and centre and walked on.
The buildings in this area weren't as well maintained like others in the more industrial parts of the city. She could hear the constant buzz of life, a baby crying in the distance and a loud ringing noise much like a siren that floated on the breeze.
She'd seen so much in one day. That morning she had woken in her same large bed in Malfoy Manor and now she was in a place she'd never been, surrounded by strangers all with their own lives and their own stories. It was unfamiliar in the most brilliant of ways.
I wish the others could see this. It could change their perspective on everything. Muggles aren't vermin. They're not beneath us. They're humans. They're just trying to live like any of us.
Valentine heard a bark of laughter above her and looked up. In a window, five stories high, there was a man and a woman, half hanging out the window, smoking cigarettes. She couldn't hear their voices from where she stood but their boisterous laughter still reached her.
We all laugh the same. How could anyone think they were really so different that it somehow affected their worth?
"Hello there."
Valentine's head snapped down, eyes meeting with a man. He and a group of four others stood in the shadow the tall building cast.
"Yes?" She arched a brow, instantly on guard.
The man stepped forward out of the shadows and Valentine found that he wasn't a man at all. He was a boy, only a year or two older than herself. He was fair-haired with dark eyes and a stained red hooded sweatshirt. He grinned, wide and lopsided.
Valentine frowned deeply. She'd had more than her fair share of grinning boys.
"This isn't a safe area. Lots of unsavoury types about." He said, hands in his pockets. "You should run on home, kid. Where is home, by the way? I can tell just by looking at you that you're not from around here."
The group lurking behind him chuckled amongst themselves. Their clothing was equally stained, ripped and worn thin. Valentine might have felt bad for them if she wasn't too busy being suspicious.
"Sorry, but that's none of your business." said Valentine.
"Don't be like that." The boy crept towards her. "We can take you home. We're nice people. Don't worry, you'll be safe with us."
"Don't come any closer." She hissed, preparing herself to make a run for. "I've found that people who feel the need to tell others that they're nice rarely so are."
I obviously can't use magic and there's no way I could take them all in a physical fight.
"Hey, hey, hey." A teenage girl stepped forward from the group, hands up as if to calm her. "It's okay. Jordan here is just a bit of a weirdo, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. We really are just trying to help you."
Valentine glanced at the end of a wooden handle sticking out of the girls jean pockets.
"No, thanks." Valentine turned on her heel. "I don't need any help."
"Wait!" The boy, Jordan, called after her.
He grabbed her arm but underestimated her own strength and twisted from his grip. She kicked him hard in the shin and ran off the way she'd come.
She could hear the group pursuing her, their shoes thudding against the cobblestone. She picked up the pace and turned down an alley, almost running into another man.
"We're just trying to help!" Jordan yelled after her.
Crap.
He sounded alarmingly close.
She glanced over her shoulder but couldn't see them yet so she turned another corner before they could catch sight of her. She spotted a large garbage bin and ducked down behind, crouching low to the ground.
The group's footsteps grew louder and she held her breath as they ran past.
"Where did she go?" asked one of the group.
"Come on." Jordan scowled. "She can't have gotten far yet."
Valentine didn't wait long before emerging from her hiding place. She planned to run in the same direction she'd come from and then she planned to stay away from this part of London for the foreseeable future. She chanced one last look over her shoulder to see if they'd realised that she'd fooled them and then continued with her plan accordingly.
Then head down, moving at full speed she ran right into someone. Expecting it to be Jordan or one of his gang she immediately leapt back, twisting in to run again.
"Sorry! Are you okay?" The voice that spoke was much deeper and more mature than Jordan's.
Valentine had to tilt her head back to look up at a tall man. He had dirty blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, a wide-brimmed hat, a long black coat and a concerned frowned.
"Hey, where's the fire?"
"Are you alright, kid?" The woman beside the man asked, noticing Valentine's dishevelled state and breathlessness.
She was clearly younger than the man with short, shockingly bright pink hair, dark makeup and a tattoo of a lion clearly visible on her neck, creeping up from the collar of her studded denim jacket.
They were both carrying plastic bags filled with what looked like food and had the same worried expression. They were just ordinary people living their lives. They likely didn't want anything from her like Jordan and his group.
"People are chasing me." said Valentine, taking the chance but still keeping her distance.
"Damn." The man cursed. His voice was deep and soothing even with his disgruntled tone. "This really isn't a good place for you to be hanging around at night."
"It gives me the creeps." said the woman. "Let's get out of here, okay?"
Valentine hesitated. If the teenagers did turn around and come back this way, she'd be done for. And as much as she found these people preferable, she didn't know them.
I should let them take me to a more populated area at least. Once I'm away from here I can give them the slip.
"Come on." The man gestured for Valentine to follow them. "You really can't stay here."
Valentine nodded and the woman fell into step beside her.
"What's your name, hun?" She asked. Valentine could hear the click of her high heels on the concrete as she walked. It reminded her of Narcissa.
"Val."
"You're a little young to be running around the streets at night, Val." The man sent a pointed look over his shoulder.
"Oh, shut your face." The woman leapt over to him and slapped his arm. "Don't act like you weren't a total delinquent when you were a kid."
"I wasn't. I was a good boy."
"Ugh. I bet you were too. Probably a dibba dobba to boot."
"Only when it was deserved."
"You are a no-fun rat, Axe."
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" The man sighed and turned to extend a hand to Valentine. "I'm Axel by the way."
Valentine studied his hand for a moment. They were clean but his fingertips were calloused. She shook his hand.
"Hello, Axel."
"And I'm Delaney, but call me Del. Even my parents don't call me Delaney." The woman introduced herself with a wide smile. "So, what are you doing out here all alone, hun?"
"Walking." Valentine shrugged. She wasn't lying.
"It's getting kinda late though." said Axel. "Anyone at home gonna be worried?"
"Probably. But it's not a problem. They know I'm out and I can handle myself."
"Hmm..." Axel glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You were getting chased, right?"
He doesn't believe me. Hell. I don't think I'd believe me either if I was him.
"Well, I could hardly fight all of them," said Valentine. "Running was my only option."
"You know what?" Del tapped her chin in thought. "Zoe was literally talking about this the other day. She said there's this group of homeless kids in the area mugging people. The police have been looking for them for weeks now but apparently, they're a pretty slippery bunch."
"Sounds about right." Axel grunted. "Well, then it was a good thing you ran."
"I thought so."
Axel chuckled at that.
"So, whereabouts do you live, kid?" He asked. "We can walk you there, give you your train fare or shout for a taxi or something."
"God, you're such an old man!" Del barked out a laugh. "She's clearly a little rebel, Axe. She's not gonna wanna just go home."
"Do not call me that, Del." Axel glared at her and then looked down at Valentine. "So, what's it gonna be then?"
"As in?"
"Are you gonna go home or do we need to call someone...?"
"Hey!" Del immediately objected and threw an arm over Valentine's shoulders. "She's not yours to boss around!"
"Could you not be a drama queen for two seconds?" Axel massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Nope."
Axel groaned.
"What do you suggest then?"
"That we take her back with us and send her home tomorrow!"
"You've got to be kidding me. She's not some lost kitten you can take home, Del."
"But she could be." Del pouted up at him, big eyes glistening.
Valentine wanted to laugh. Del seemed to be a lot like someone else she knew.
"Ah, excuse me?" Valentine cleared her voice. "Since I'm the 'kitten' in question, don't I get a say?"
"She's right!" Del declared and turned Valentine to face her. "Do you wanna go home to your, I'm sure overbearing, lame family. Ooooor do you wanna come chill with us?"
"Why is this my life?" Axel huffed.
"Hush, you killjoy!"
Valentine looked between these two people. Del and Axel. Perhaps they weren't the most ordinary people around but then, Valentine never had seemed to attract people to the contrary.
Well...Why the hell not?
Valentine pursed her lips in thought before she let them stretch into a smile.
Del giggled excitedly at the sight.
"To the hotel we go!" She pumped her fist in the air.
--Pretending To Live--
"Guys!" Del shouted as she kicked the hotel room's door open. "Look what I found!"
"She's not a 'what', Del." Axel corrected. He looked down at Valentine. "Sorry about her. She's a total moron is all."
"It's fine." said Valentine. "She's actually a lot like a friend of mine."
Valentine stepped into the room behind Axel. It was large and spacious, sleek in design. There were two men and a woman crowded around a small cluttered table in the centre of the room, sitting on two couches adjacent to each other.
"Hey, babe!" The woman called out. She was very pretty with blonde hair tied up by a red bandana and dark blue makeup making her grey eyes appear big and doll-like. Under the black tank top, she wore a layer of mesh from wrist to neckline. Valentine also noticed that there was a metal ring piercing her red bottom lip.
Valentine expected Axel to reply and so was somewhat surprised when Del did instead.
"Hiya." Del winked back and skipped across the room to what looked like the kitchen.
"Uh, where the fuck did the kid come from?" asked a man with spiked black hair.
"Hey!" Axel snapped at him, as he walked past Valentine to the kitchen. "Watch your mouth."
"Don't swear when there's a kid around." The blonde woman picked up a cushion on the couch beside her and lobbed it across the table at him.
"Shit, my bad." said the man. "Crap- I mean..."
He stuttered over his words upon realising he'd sworn again.
"Nice try." A younger man with a head of bright blue hair and equally blue eyes, patted him on the shoulder in a way that looked like it might have been comforting if not for his amused smirk.
"We found her on the way back." Del explained, shouting from the kitchen. "She was being chased by some creeps."
"And so it's only logical to bring her back with you?" asked the blue-haired man. "That has Del written all over it."
"Shouldn't we call the police?" The blonde woman frowned.
"No, it's fine." said Valentine. "I doubt they could do anything about it."
"Alright then...What's your name, cutie?" asked the woman, patting the empty spot on the couch beside her.
"I'm Val."
"Zoe." The woman smiled sweetly. "That one's Parker. And the one with the potty mouth is Bobby."
Valentine nodded as she sat beside her.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that." Bobby cringed, scratching at his spiky hair.
Up close, Valentine noticed he had a black piercing in each ear, as well as a tattoo of a dragon wrapped around his right forearm.
"It's fine." Valentine assured him.
"He's hopeless." Parker rolled his eyes.
Valentine also noted the many sliver piercings in his face and ears. He had three in one ear, four in the other. One in his lip, left eyebrow and nose. She'd never seen anyone with so much metal in their face before.
"Whatever." Bobby stuck the middle finger up at Parker.
"So, is someone going to come pick you up?" Zoe asked Valentine, impossibly long lashes brushing her cheeks when she blinked.
"She's staying the night!" Delaney shouted again from the kitchen.
"At Del's insistence." Axel added, walking out of the kitchen with a drink can in his hand. "I'll make sure she gets home tomorrow."
"I got dip!" Del yelled triumphantly and she appeared again also. She dumped an arm full of food onto the table before them, grinning.
"Hey, where's my-"
"Yeah, yeah." Axel cut Bobby off and tossed him a small box.
"Out on the balcony with your cancer sticks you fire hazard." Zoe told him.
"That was one time." Bobby groaned, standing up.
"Yeah, one time, one perfectly good couch." Parker snorted.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Bobby smacked him up the backside of the head as he walked past.
He pushed open a glass sliding door against the far all and stepped out on the balcony. Leaning on the railing, he pulled a cigarette from the small box and a small metallic object that Valentine quickly realised was a lighter.
"Parker's the band baby." Zoe explained. "He's the youngest out of us all."
"The band?" Valentine blinked.
"Oh, yeah." said Delaney, bounding over to Zoe and sitting in her lap, Zoe's arm winding around her waist. "We didn't tell you, did we? We're all in a band! We're called Ashes to Ashes. But the 'to' is written as the number and not the letter. Cool, right?"
"Right." Valentine nodded.
"Me and Zoe have wanted to start a band our whole lives, then we met the guys." Del explained. "I sing, Zoe's on guitar, Axel's on bass, Parker's on drums and Bobby's second guitar and the occasional keys."
"And we've been trapped in this servitude ever since." Parker chuckled, getting up from his seat and going into the kitchen.
Both Axel and Bobby laughed at this. Valentine smiled.
"You can relax, you know." said Del. "Take off your shoes. Chillax."
Del lifted her feet for Valentine to see, but what Valentine really noticed was a large peacock tattoo on her thigh.
"Babe, don't be gross, Del." Zoe pushed her legs back down.
Valentine elected to keep her boots on but unwound her scarf from her neck and folded it in her lap.
"You're a neat, lil' thing, huh?" Axel observed in amusement.
"You a runaway?" asked Parker rather randomly and he walked back into the room with a drink can similar to Axel's in hand.
"I'm sorry?" Valentine arched a brow.
"Did you run away from home?" Parker repeats, perfectly serious.
"Not technically." Valentine shrugged.
"Either you did or you didn't."
What's he trying to get at?
"Don't be a jerk." Zoe scolded him. "She's just a kid, mind your own business."
"I'm almost fifteen." said Valentine felt the need to add.
"Pretty short for fourteen." Bobby called in from the balcony.
"I recently had a growth spurt actually." Valentine cut him a rather lax glare considering her usual intensity.
"We can't all be giants like Axe." Zoe laughed.
"Tell us, oh Great and Tall One. What is thy height?" asked Del, dramatic arm actions included.
"Six foot five." said Axel as he took a swing of his drink. "And don't call me that."
"Great and Tall One? Or Axe?"
"Both."
"Buzzkill. You are now known as the Great and Tall Buzzkill."
"You didn't answer my question." Parker pressed
"And she doesn't have to, man." Axel sent him a terse look.
"It's fine." Valentine assured Axel.
"I'm not a runaway. I live with my aunt, uncle and cousin. I told them all that I was going for a walk before I left this morning. I never said where."
"Sneaky." Del snickered in approval, grabbing a bag of chips off the table. "Nice."
"So, fourteen, huh?" said Zoe. "Still in school?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Private school right?" Parker interjected.
"What's your deal tonight, man?" Del frowned.
"What makes you think private school?" Valentine smiled lightly.
Parker studied her for a moment.
"Your clothes. The way you sit. The way you talk. You come from money. You stink of it."
It was all true. Unlike the others in the room, Valentine sat with her back straight, whereas they all slouched and layed back in comfort. She crossed her ankles together as she always did and when her hands weren't occupied, they were in her lap. As for her clothes, Narcissa had always made sure both she and Draco wore only the best quality. There were simple facts of Valentine's life.
"True." She shrugged. "My family is wealthy and my cousin and I attend a boarding school in Scotland."
Parker blinked, seemingly taken back from by her honesty.
Spurned on by his question, Valentine observed him herself. This time further than his blue hair and piercings.
His clothes are casual, fitted jeans, a t-shirt and a brown suede jacket. There's no stains or tears, fashionable or otherwise, unlike the others. The others clearly wear the same clothes often and he either takes extremely good care of his clothing or they are new and very well made. He doesn't sit straight per se, but he doesn't slouch either. He's relaxed but he keeps his shoulders square like he's trying to make himself appear bigger. That could be from being coined the 'bands baby' as Del put it, or...from trying to assert himself to those of high standing without appearing as some generic high-class copy. He's trying to be seen as an individual. And if there's anyone who struggles to be seen as an individual, it's the elite, depersonalised by their money.
So, when he asked;
"What's a rich kid doing getting chased by creeps on the bad side of town?"
She promptly replied;
"What's a rich kid doing in a band questioning me like I'm some kind of criminal?"
Parker's eyes widened and the others exchanged looks of surprise and confusion.
"Del and Axel tell you?" Parker narrowed his blue gaze at her, then at Del and Axel.
"Hey, we didn't say anything about you." Axel put his hands up in a show of innocence.
"How do you know?" Del asked. "That Parker was a rich kid?"
"Same way he knew I was." said Valentine. "I used my eyes. It helps that one recognises one's own kind. Although he's clearly broken away from the influence that made it so recognisable. I'm going to say...runaway."
Parker's mouth fell open.
"Oh man, she's got you now!" Bobby laughed aloud.
"Shut up!" Parker shot back.
"She read you like a freaking book!" Del exclaimed.
The others laughed again and Valentine couldn't hide her smile.
"Neat and sharp!" Axel appraised.
"That's what you get for being so nosy." Zoe scoffed and tapped Del's leg. "Hop up for a sec babe."
She headed into the kitchen next.
"I wanna hear about this boarding school in Scotland." Del beamed at Valentine, settling back into the couch.
"There's not a lot to say really. We go to classes. Take exams together. Eat together. It's a school like any other."
"Is it fancy?"
"Somewhat." Said Valentine before imagining what Beauxbatons probably looked like. "Although not more than some others."
"Do you have to share a room?"
"Yes."
"Does that suck?"
"Not particularly."
"Is the food any good?"
"Yes, very."
"Jealous. My school's food was literally the worst. Like, imagine actual garbage eaten by a dog and puked up on trays."
"That's disgusting, Del." Axel made a face.
"That's what I'm saying!"
"It wasn't actually that bad, you know." Zoe came back in with two drinks and a cup.
She handed one of the cans to Del and the cup to Valentine.
"We eat and drink a lot of stuff that's not too great for you, but I'm sure Parker can tear himself away from one cup of his precious juice." Zoe sat down beside Delaney.
"Thank you." said Valentine.
"There's only coke in here, huh?" said Del, visibly disappointed.
"We're not getting wasted with a kid in the room." Zoe scolded her.
Valentine made eye contact with Parker across the table and raised the cup to her lips. She nodded almost imperceptibly and he nodded back.
Then, Bobby came back in from the balcony and sat on the other side of Valentine.
"All black." He gestured to her clothing. "Always a good choice."
He also wore head to toe black and thus the compliment obviously worked both ways.
"Thanks." Valentine agreed.
"I can smell the smoke from here." Zoe scowled.
"Yeah, sorry." Bobby said, although he didn't seem too apologetic. "Don't smoke, kid."
"I don't intend to."
"Good. Smoking is bad. And stay in school and stuff."
"I'm sure I will."
"Study hard. Say no to drugs."
"Uh-huh."
"And like, don't prostitute yourself unless you really have to."
"That's enough wisdom from you." Axel said before Bobby could continue.
"Bite me." Bobby gave him the middle finger. "So. Val? Right? You into music?"
"Yes." said Valentine. "I play the violin."
"Cool." said Bobby. "Axel can play like twelve instruments or some shit- I mean, stuff."
"Language." Axel shot him an unimpressed look. "And it's thirteen."
"Oh, forgive me." Bobby rolled his eyes.
"You know...I actually have my violin with me." Axel hummed.
"When do you not?" Zoe laughed.
"Val, will you play for us?" Del immediately lit up. "Please? Pleaseeeeee, please, please, please?"
"She'll never shut up unless you agree." Parker sighed.
"Alright." Valentine laughed. "But be warned that I haven't touched a violin in years."
"Be right back." Axel stood up and went through one of the three doors behind the couch.
"Were you any good?" Bobby asked.
"Very good."
Bobby grinned at that.
Axel quickly returned carrying a violin case.
"It might need to be tuned up a bit." Axel opened the case and revealed a sleek, finely polished violin.
It's beautiful.
He carefully pulled out the violin and the bow. Then he slid the rosin along the bow's hair several times in preparation.
Setting his chin in the rest, he moved the bow across the strings. The violin made a horrid high pitch squeak that made Parker jump and Axel began twisting the tuning pegs.
"I can do it." Valentine offered, honestly eager to get her hands on it.
Axel handed the violin over to her and she immediately went about tuning it. It truly had been years since she last laid hands on this particular instrument but it was as if nothing had changed. She could still hear Draco pressing the piano keys to help her tune correctly. She could still hear the notes in her head as clearly as if he was doing it right now.
After a minute, Valentine turned one last peg and then pulled the bow along the strings. It created a low, smooth sound and she seamlessly moved from that on to a scale, smiling as it all flowed together.
"And we're in business." Axel nodded.
"Goodie!" Del clapped her hands together excitedly.
Valentine thought for a moment about what to play, running her fingers through her memory. When she had selected her piece, she settled into the chin rest and raised her elbows accordingly. Then closed her eyes and then she started to play.
The others sat in silence as she slid the bow back and forth, playing out each note smoothly. At first, she kept the image of the sheet music clear in her head, following along as she remembered, but soon it was coming back to her like muscle memory. Back and forth, black and forth. The notes rang in her ears but it was calming and methodical and familiar.
Valentine remembered this playing with Draco. She could hear his fingers on the keys, well-rehearsed and relaxed. Draco had never had much interest in playing without her. That's why, after the incident with Leah and the violin, he hadn't even touched the piano. It had been their thing. Something Draco could equal her in. She may have remembered the notes but she had forgotten that feeling.
She pulled the bow back along the strings one last time in a crescendo as the song came to its end. She opened her eyes slowly and saw the faces of those around her. The smiles and surprise, the cheers and applause.
"That was awesome!" Del exclaimed.
"Very nicely done." Bobby agreed, nodding.
"Tell me you compete?" Axel stared at her, eyes wide.
"I haven't played in years remember?"
"You have to be kidding me?" Del's jaw almost hit the floor. "How can you be out of the game for so long and then just come back like BAM!"
"That was fantastic." said Zoe. "When was the last time you played?"
"I first learnt when I was seven and by the time I was eight I had stopped."
"What? Why?" asked Parker.
"I was busy I suppose."
"Oh, come on." Axel shook his head in disbelief. "I was never that good when I was your age! I don't think I'm even that good now! And that's not even taking account that violin takes years for people to learn in any proficiency. You should really get back into it. You could even make a career out of playing with that kind of talent."
"Your one of those child prodigies aren't you?" Bobby squinted at her.
"Something like that."
"You smart too or is it just violin?'
"I may or may not also be incredibly intelligent."
They all laughed except for Axel who was still in shock.
Bobby whistled lowly.
"You're one heck of a fourteen-year-old."
"Which is why we should keep her!" Del announced.
"She's not a pet." said Zoe.
"But she's cute like one."
"That doesn't make her a pet or mean that we can keep her."
"Awwwwe!"
--Pretending To Live--
At around eleven PM, everyone had started drifting off, but not in the places they were meant to. Valentine, Zoe and Axel were the only ones left awake, the other three passed out in their various positions.
"Honestly." Axel scoffed. "Why did we even bother getting four beds if they're just gonna sleep anywhere else?"
Del was stretched out on the couch, one arm and leg hanging over the side. She was out like a light, but she hadn't been the first to go. That had been Parker.
During the night, particularly during an extremely tense game of dominos, Parker had moved down onto the floor in front of the table and was now hunched over it drooling on an empty chip packet.
And lastly, Bobby was over on the other couch, sprawled out on his stomach, face buried in the cushions but still snoring loudly.
"Well, it's not like we pay for it." Zoe shrugged. "That's the agency's job."
She gently poked at Del's face, pulling her cheeks up into a comical smile and pushing down her brow into a frown.
"Having fun there?" Axel arched a brow.
"Just help me get her into bed." Zoe giggled to herself.
Axel slid his arms under Del's knees and the middle of her back. He lifted her with ease and carried her through one of the doors behind the couch, Zoe following close behind. Though the doorway Valentine could see Zoe removing Del's studded denim jacket carefully so as to not wake her.
Axel came back out and repeated the same step with Bobby, but first having to turn him on his stomach. When he lifted Bobby from the couch, Valentine noticed something fall from his jean pockets and as Axel carried him off, Valentine picked up the object from the couch and found it to be a photograph of a child.
The child only looked to be two or three years old with dark eyes and a thick head of black hair.
Bobby's brother? Or nephew? Cousin? Maybe even his own child? He does seem a bit young to be a father...
"Oh, hey." Axel returned, glancing over her shoulder. "That's Reily."
"Reily?"
"Yeah, Bobby's son."
And I stand corrected.
Axel nodded, leaning down to pick up Parker off the floor next.
"He's with his grandparents while we're working."
Valentine treaded silently into the room where Bobby had been placed on one of three beds. His arm was dangling over the side haphazardly while he continued to snore away. Valentine placed the photo on the bedside table and then carefully moved his arm back onto the bed.
Then Axel came in with Parker in his arms, laying him down on the bed beside Bobby's.
Valentine watched as he started taking off Parker's jacket and shoes.
I get the sense that this is a regular occurrence.
Deciding to stop staring like a weirdo, she headed back out to the living space.
She glanced back at the doors leading into the bedrooms. Zoe was tucking Del in and Axel was laying Parker's jacket over the foot of the bed.
It is pretty late, even for me.
She slid her arms back into her coat- she'd taken off to be able to place the dominos pieces easier- then she buttoned it up and picked up her scarf from the couch, twisting it back around her neck.
"Yeah...I didn't think you'd actually stay." Axel smiled softly at her from the doorway. "I can't force you to go home but I can't force you to stay either."
"Thank you for helping me tonight." Valentine returned his smile. "But I really should get back, my cousin will be worried."
"I thought you said no one was going to be worried about you."
"That may have been a slight exaggeration."
"...you're not really a runaway are you?"
"No." Valentine snorted. "I'm not a runaway. I just felt like going for a very long walk and so I did."
"Can't I give you train fare or something? How far away do you live?" He asked, honestly concerned.
"Don't worry." Valentine waved him off. "I won't be wandering around the bad part of town again."
"Del's going to be pretty upset when she finds out that you left without saying goodbye...Come and visit when you can, hey? We move around a bit, but we're going to be here for another two weeks. And if we do have to leave I'll leave a message with you at the front desk."
"Sure." Valentine nodded and turned towards the front door.
"Hey," Axel spoke up again and she glanced over her shoulder at him. His brow was furrowed deeply, his eyes steady and serious. "You're not...going home to like, abuse are you? You're not going to get in trouble for being out so late or anything? If you need help we will do whatever we can."
Valentine almost laughed, smiling wider.
"It's nothing I can't handle."
"Then you better come around again soon." Axel sighed. "Or else I'll worry."